How to find your artistic style

Have you been judging yourself that you don’t have a unique artistic style or have you envied other artists before because their artworks are recognizable on their own? Every artist wants their artworks to be different and unique yet they do things that can cause the opposite effect. Don’t worry though, you can not lose your own artistic style and you can work on it anytime! I will show you how!

You already have an artistic style

Your artistic style is a part of you, it is always with you. It exists! If it is not visible that just means it is hidden. But, it is there and you can bring it to the surface!

You yourself are your own style, you are unique. Your personality, your feelings, your own view of the world is in every part of your artworks. Your lines, your brush strokes, the colors you use, the topics you draw are all representing who you are.

If it is hidden, unhide your style! Here is how:

Draw from life

One of the best method to find your artistic style is by drawing from real life. Use reference photos or use real life possibilities to improve your skills and develop your own art style further.

By drawing from real life there is no cheat sheat to use. You will draw what you see how you see it and how you interpret it. This works because there is no one else’s drawings in front of you that could show you how to draw the subject matter. You should come up with your own drawing methods. It foreces you to draw what you see on your own way. This is why this technique is so powerful in bringing out your own style and to hone your art skills! The result will be very unique. By doing this regularly your art skills will get better, which will let you play and have more fun while creating.

Try out different mediums

A good way to find your artistic style is by trying out different art mediums. You might notice that there are mediums that you handle more easily, maybe love more too than some other ones. Your artistic style might be slightly different too by using different mediums.

Find the one that fits you the best, that you feel in alignment with! Maybe you have been working with markers all these years and now you will realise that your true calling is with oils. Who knows until you try, right?

Draw what you are interested in

One of the best method to find your unique style is by focusing on the theme you draw and paint.

Draw what you like in life, what you are interested in. For example if you like nature draw nature, if you like cats and butterflies, draw them! If you are interested in great stories and you have some stories to tell, create characters and draw a comic. If you are into vehicles, you have the latest model of quadrocopter at home why not draw it? If you are following the latest design trends in clothing, design your owns!

Connect your life with your artworks by drawing elements part of your own life. Since you have a unique vision of the world, how you experience life is different from others, the things you create and share will be different too. This makes your art truly unique!

A very good example is Stephanie Law and her amazingly detailed nature art with her soft painting style. She even mentions how nature got into her paintings in her about page:

“Growing up in California, Stephanie has been surrounded by the wealth of natural inspiration all around her. The twisting boughs of live oaks from the hills near her home insinuate themselves into her paintings. The chaos of Nature’s wild growth, and conversely the beauty of decay, echo in the textures and fractal patterns of her work.”

See? She loves nature so much, she paints it every day!

So take a look at your own life! What are the common themes? What are you in love with?

Don’t follow the crowd, make a path for yourself!

This is I think the most important step in finding your artistic style. Follow your own path!

If you take a look at what others are drawing, especially people in the same group – they usually tend to draw similar things in similar style. Why? Because one member of the group is usually a leader type, who makes a path for herself: practicing a lot, working on her own style while the other members in the group (her friends maybe) consciously or uncosciously start to adapt her style into their own. This simply happens because they want to draw like her (so they copy her works to practice) and/or because they see her artwork a lots of times.

You can find similar artistic styles in art schools too where usually the pupils learn the art techniques (along with the style) from their teacher (and from each other too) and apply it the same way in their own art making their style hide behind the technique. (There are exceptions of course, who bring their own vision into their art and make techniques work for themselves – this comes with practice though.)

Copying other artists work will have the same result. Your style will be hidden while you will be using someone else’s art style. You will learn how they draw but the style you end up with will not be truly yours. It will be that other artist’s style!

This of course is neither good nor bad. You are the one who decides if you are satisfied with your current artistic style or not. However, if you want to bring out your own uniqueness then become a leader your own! Make a path for yourself and follow no one! Learn from other artists but make their techniques your own by practicing, adjusting them many times! Add your own flavour to your works!

Draw and paint a lot to let your style rise up

Your artistic style needs time and practice to show itself.

Those artists who already have a unique style have worked a LOT behind the scenes to reach that level. Remember this! Everyone comes from somewhere, the difference usually is in how much practice each of them put into their craft regularly. The key here is regularly! If you enjoy making art, drawing and painting, then do it as often as you can!

Art Challenge!

I challenge you to try this! Draw 30 minutes a day from life and from your imagination for 30 consecutive days! Use whatever medium you want to, draw whatever interests you the most, get ideas from your life! You will see the difference. And this is just the beginning!

Recap: How to find your artistic style

Let’s summarize what you can do to find your own artistic style. First of all you already have a style, it might just be hidden. To bring out your unique style focus on improving one (or more) of these areas:

Draw from life

Try out different mediums

Draw what you are interested in

Don’t follow the crowd, make a path for yourself!

Draw and paint a lot

I hope you enjoyed this post, if yes (Get on my newsletter to be notified about new ones.), please share it with your friends and do the challenge!
Let me know how it goes for you and what you experience!

Hi! I am Adrienn Ecsedi. On this site I share what I create be that a digital painting, a pastel artwork, a how to video about growing plants from seeds along with my knowledge about these areas. Enjoy! If you have any questions contact me.